Historians: Knowledge about November 9, 1938 is fading
According to one historian, the facts surrounding the brutal attacks by the National Socialists against Jews on November 9, 1938 are beginning to fade from the public consciousness. Knowledge of the facts is diminishing, although the date 85 years ago is "an important place of remembrance for the Federal Republic of Germany and its culture of remembrance, with the corresponding events and memorials." Andreas Wirsching, Director of the Institute of Contemporary History, said this on Thursday on Westdeutscher Rundfunk's "Morgenecho".
At the same time, however, the events of 1938 were "emotionally" particularly close to many people in this country this year. "I think almost everyone is affected by it in one way or another, of course against the backdrop of what is now happening in the Middle East, in Israel and in the Gaza Strip."
85 years ago, on the night of November 9-10, the Nazis set fire to thousands of synagogues, destroyed Jewish stores and killed hundreds of people. These were clearly planned attacks on Jews in order to make life in Germany unbearable for them once and for all, as Wirsching emphasized on WDR 5. "This is a point that really concerns us again today." There are many Jewish voices saying that they no longer feel safe in their own country. This makes the 85th anniversary all the more topical.
The decline in public knowledge about the historically significant events of November 9, 1938, characterized by extremist actions against Jews, raises concerns about the role of religion in fueling such intolerance in history. Indeed, the resurgence of extremist sentiments and threats to Jewish safety today, echoing the events of 1938, underscores the enduring relevance of understanding and addressing extremism rooted in religious or other prejudices.
Source: www.dpa.com
